P&G to Expand Beach Plastics Pilot Program

by | Oct 13, 2017

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Procter & Gamble plans to expand the recyclable shampoo pilot program the company launched in June, though the company did not say what’s next on the program’s agenda. P&G announced that by end of 2018, in Europe, more than half a billion bottles per year will include up to 25% post-consumer recycled plastic. This represents more than 90% of all the hair care bottles sold in Europe across P&G’s hair care portfolio of flagship brands like Pantene and Head & Shoulders, the company says.

The pilot program began with a partnership with TerraCycle and SUEZ to launch a recyclable Head & Shoulders shampoo bottle that the company says was the world’s first recyclable shampoo bottle made with 25% recycled beach plastic. P&G says the initiative has “brought about the largest solution to ocean plastic to date (in terms of volume and % used in the package).”

The Head & Shoulders campaign was just awarded the United Nations Momentum of Change Award for pioneering approach. The award “encourages us to expand this pilot further and to continue the journey of innovating on circular economy solutions,” says Lisa Jennings, VP Head & Shoulders and Sustainability Hair Care for P&G. Jennings says the project is responsible for inspiring other brands and industries to find solutions to the issue of plastic waste. A P&G press release mentions that the company is “aware of” a push from the milk industry in France to commercialize grey coloured milk bottles made with recycled plastic.

Compared to the standard model of producing virgin plastic, the innovation used for the Head & Shoulders bottle is less energy intensive and emits 60% less CO2 throughout the production process.

P&G is already in the midst of its continued rollout of the program. Last week, the company announced the launch of its new Fairy Ocean Plastic bottle made 10% ocean plastic, collected from the ocean and beaches around the world, and 90% post-consumer recycled plastic.

The UK launch will include 320,000 ocean plastic bottles for the Fairy dishwashing brand; P&G reiterated that it intends to extend the initiative across more regions and other brands – like Dawn, Yes, Dreft and Joy – in the future. The Fairy Ocean Plastic bottle was created in partnership with recycling expert TerraCycle.

The Momentum for Change initiative, spearheaded by the UN Climate Change secretariat, shines light on some of the most innovative, scalable and practical examples of what people across the globe are doing to combat climate change.

Pictured: Head & Shoulders Beach Plastic Clean-Up

 

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